Polaris
by holly-writes-things
Summary: Polaris: A star of the second magnitude situated close to the North Pole, located on the handle of the Little Dipper, also called the North Star - (aka Takao and Midorima get lost after a game, argue, and end up stargazing in the rickshaw)


"How did you get us lost this badly?" Midorima's voice rose harsh and annoyed from the rickshaw behind him, "Why didn't you just retrace the way we came?"

Takao huffed, "Our match was late and it was dark! I asked you for help an hour ago but _you_ didn't answer."

Midorima yawned, "Well then next time I would advise you to not ask a sleeping person for directions."

Officially aggravated, Takao turned his head to glare back at him. Their game against Hoshiko High had taken place well outside the city and deep in the countryside; he ideally wouldn't have pulled the rickshaw the whole way, but Midorima insisted that since the match itself wouldn't be much of a challenge, Takao should use it to make up for the missed exercise. Meaning, Midorima had forced this waste of Takao's energy and then fallen asleep himself.

Takao stopped pedaling. He jumped off the bike and, kicking down the kickstand, stomped over to the rickshaw where Midorima still sat comfortably.

"What are you doing?"

Takao didn't answer him and instead placed a heavy foot on the rickshaw, bumping into Midorima several times as he forced a space for himself. Finally settled, he crossed his arms and legs, "I'm going to rest! I've been pedaling for hours."

"Then how do you plan on getting us home?" The only answer Takao gave was silence, and Midorima, offended and disgruntled, glanced around at their surroundings. "Could you at least move us out of the middle of the road? We're going to be ran over by something."

"By _what_? A horse and carriage? It's a dirt road!"

This was true, a single, thin road spread out in front of and behind them; it ran straight out of sight, and Midorima wouldn't have been surprised if it led straight off the edge of the planet. What was most disheartening however, was that the road behind them looked equally long and endless.

As for being ran over by something, they seemed to be pretty far-flung in the middle of nowhere. Fields of tall grass lined the road on either side and, while the darkness probably hindered his vision, Midorima couldn't see the outline of a barn or a farmhouse anywhere on the barren landscape.

He pressed his lips together, "I'm going to call Miyaji-san."

Takao rolled his eyes, "Oh _good_ , because I hadn't thought to try that already." He fluffed his gym bag like it was pillow and laid down, folding his hands across his chest and closing his eyes.

Midorima fiddled with his phone for several minutes, finally admitting defeat.

"I don't have any service."

"Shocking."

Midorima removed his glasses and rubbed a hand over his face, "How could this have happened? Cancer was ranked third today on Oha Asa's horoscope rankings, unless…" He turned accusingly to Takao, "Takao, what was Scorpio's ranking?"

"You mean you didn't check for me? I'm hurt." Takao opened his eyes, "And I don't know. I…" His mouth fell open in awe and he trailed off; laying on his back with his head tilted upward, Takao had an excellent view of the sky. When he spoke again he no longer sounded irritated, "Hey Shin-chan, out here you can see the stars a lot better than in the city."

They sprawled out in front of him like a painting; glossy and glittery and stretching to both ends of the horizon, they seemed so far removed from the two lost young men in the rickshaw. It was a night sky brighter and more dazzling than any Takao had ever seen in the city. Of course, they traveled enough for games and tournaments that it wasn't like he _never_ saw the stars, but he held a childlike admiration for them nevertheless.

Midorima however, was in awe for a different reason.

"Takao that's brilliant!" he returned his glasses to his face, "We can use the stars to find our way back! Hoshiko was west of the city so it's probably safe to say we need to go east," he looked up at the sky, "and if the North Star is the last star on the handle of the Little Dipper, then home should be…" he furrowed his brow and pointed vaguely to their right, straight through the middle of the grassy field.

"Wait Shin-chan, it looks just like your left hand!"

Midorima faltered, "What?"

"The – what did you call it? The Little Dipper? It looks like your left hand." Still laying comfortably against his gym bag, Takao reached over and grabbed Midorima's left hand, holding it against the sky and lining it up with the stars.

"See those four stars make your palm and fingers and um…" he frowned and folded Midorima's thumb inwards, "you don't have a thumb." Takao pointed at the sky with his free hand, "And you see those stars trailing behind?

Midorima was not amused, "Do I see _the handle of the Little Dipper?_ "

"That's the end of the tape, it's trailing behind because you haven't finished wrapping your fingers yet." Takao grinned up at him and his mood was not dampened in the slightest.

Midorima pulled his hand away, "Do you see the few to the right that kind of look like a tumbleweed?"

Takao squinted upward.

"That's your brain. When are you going to start pedaling again?"

Takao's mouth fell open, "You're so rude Shin-chan! And I'll start pedaling again whenever I feel like it." Midorima began to protest and Takao quickly offered a compromise, "Okay okay _relax!_ I'll pedal again in a little while, just let me rest for a bit first."

This seemed to pacify him for the time being and they sat in silence for several minutes while Midorima continued to calculate and recalculate their location and Takao stared upward in wonder.

"Shin-chan, I have a question."

Midorima grunted in response.

"What makes some stars brighter than others?"

Midorima pushed up his glasses, "Well it's a lot of things. Mainly size, although there are some small stars that burn very brightly and some large stars that burn dimly, it just depends. Distance to Earth is also important, if a star is far away, it won't appear very bright no matter how big it is."

Takao frowned, "So then, to a really far away alien planet, our Sun would look like just another small star?"

"Correct. Most astronomers actually consider it to be fairly ordinary; the Sun is the brightest star only from our perspective."

"Well that's kind of sad."

"How so?"

Takao crossed his arms, "Well, it's like...no matter how big or powerful or bright a star might be, there will still be some people who only see it as ordinary."

Midorima tilted his head to the side, "I really doubt the stars care what we think about them one way or the other."

"I still feel bad for the Sun though...I'm glad at least we can appreciate it - maybe that's the point." Takao looked up at him and smiled, "You know, it's so funny, the Sun is a star but we can't see it at night."

Midorima didn't reply because really, what could he possibly say in response to this deeply poignant yet profoundly naive assessment of the universe?

Takao however, either didn't notice or didn't mind, "Shin-chan, do you know any more constellations? But cool ones, I don't care about telling direction."

Midorima stared down at him, slightly in awe of Takao's ambivalence to all the famed navigators and astronomers he had just insulted. Still, with a constellation already in mind, he point to a long string of stars.

"See those few there, the ones that kind of look like they form an arrow at the end? That's Scorpio."

Takao's mouth fell into a surprised grin, "Hey that's me!"

Midorima nodded, "The scorpion holds an infamous in Greek mythology as the slayer of Orion."

"Was he a bad guy?"

"Uh...no. He was a famous hero and hunter in Greek mythology."

Takao's face fell and he pointed up at the sky, "Well what about you, where is Cancer?"

"I'm not up there right now."

"Uh huh _sure_ , you just don't want to tell me the crab is known for killing Hercules or causing the Trojan War or some other horrible thing."

Midorima stared at him, "Why woul-"

"Wow wait! What are those five stars?" Takao interrupted him and pointed excitedly to the sky, "The ones kind of in a circle - it looks like a basketball!"

Midorima frowned at this utter dismissal of his own knowledge, "Well that's _actually_ part of Sagittarius."

"Well _tonight_ it's a basketball." Takao sighed, "Okay forget this, current constellations are boring, just make up your own."

Midorima opened his mouth, "Well-"

"And I mean _real_ ones, not ' _oh see that one that looks like a potato? That's your face'_ type stuff _._ "

Midorima shrugged, "Then nevermind. I don't seen any."

"Oh c'mon just make them up! What do you see?"

Midorima was painfully certain that they were not seeing the same sky. While Takao only saw possibilities, he saw a rigid set of patterns; stars and planets already bound by the hard lines of professionalism and time.

He looked down at Takao and simply shook his head - the sky was not his canvas.

"Huuuuh? Well what about that," Takao pointed slightly to the left of the basketball, "Don't those few look a bit like Haizaki's cornrows?"

Midorima scoffed, "Now _you're_ just making things up."

"No it really does look like them! Those few next to the basketball."

Midorima ran a hand over his face, "That's _still_ Sagittarius."

" _No_ , it's Haizaki's cornrows, it looks just like them!" Takao cleared a space next to him, "Here lay down, you'll be able to see the stars better from down here."

Midorima's expression was hidden in the darkness and he hesitated for only a moment before surrendering to the suggestion.

And so they lay in the rickshaw, side by side and shoulders touching; Takao's whole body just barely fit comfortably, but Midorima had to bend his arms and legs severely to fit all his limbs inside the rickshaw. For the most part, Takao talked and Midorima listened, which wasn't far removed from their usual dynamic anyway. While Takao was in no way what one would call a _traditional_ genius, Midorima thought his seemingly boundless imagination must be some sort of special gift. His eccentric mind saw an endless number of constellations, most of them involving basketball or people they knew, and quite a few others involving Midorima himself.

"...and those six stars to the left of the lucky pencil are your glasses."

Midorima frowned, "Why do they have to be _my_ glasses, why can't they be someone else's?"

"Does that mean you see it?" Takao turned to him excitedly. Midorima had eventually started saying that he saw the various constellations he had invented, but Takao had a strong suspicion he was lying.

Truthfully, although he didn't show it, Midorima was straining his eyes and exercising his brain intently in attempt to see the shapes and objects that amused Takao so much. To his frustration, he was accomplishing very little despite this strong effort.

"I...no I don't see them."

Takao frowned, "Ah…well that's okay, but I know they're your glasses because your left hand is just below the glasses, like you're about to push them up."

Midorima pressed his lips together and brought a hand to his chin, his brow furrowed and his mind working furiously.

"Okay I think I've got one."

Takao gasped and a broad smile spread over his face, "What really?! Where? Where is it Shin-chan? Where? WHAT IS IT?"

Midorima couldn't understand why this made Takao so happy, but he raised a finger to the sky, "Those five there, don't they look a bit like our starting formation?"

Takao's smile faltered, his enthusiasm faded, and he considered lying, "Hmm I...I don't...hang on." He squinted and tilted his head to the side, resting it on Midorima's shoulder, "I-I don't see it...but I believe you that it's there though Shin-chan, really."

Midorima simply nodded in response, but he had worked hard and was clearly disappointed. Takao kept his head on Midorima's shoulder, expecting to be shoved away, but to his surprise - and joy - the shooting guard didn't complain. He hoped that Midorima found it comforting, even if it was only a little.

Neither of them spoke for a little while after this; Midorima was frustrated by his failures, childish though they may be, he felt they represented a greater flaw within himself, one beyond simply being unable to make up constellations.

Thankfully, it was a night well-suited for long silences and troubled thoughts. The summer weather kept them comfortable warm inside the rickshaw, and the wind blowing through the grass and the steady chirp of crickets kept their world from a total silence, making it quiet but not uncomfortably so.

Midorima suddenly shifted, and Takao's heart beat furiously as he felt him gently rest his head on top of Takao's own.

Midorima cleared his throat, "Okay, I think I see another one. Next to my hand, do you see the two really bright stars that are next to each other?"

Takao nodded slowly.

"And then all the dimmer stars surrounding them?" Midorima hesitated, "I think they look like your hawk eyes."

Takao gasped and sat up excitedly, accidentally bumping Midorima's head away.

"I see it! It looks exactly like a pair of eyes, that's amazing Shin-chan!"

Midorima rubbed his head and looked away, thankful that Takao probably couldn't see him blushing through the darkness.

"It's not really that amazing…"

Takao personally thought the constellation was very fitting; whenever he looked at Shin-chan, he usually did have stars in his eyes.

"Well _I_ think it's amazing." He laid back down again, returning his head to Midorima's shoulder, "See if you can come up with any more."

Midorima already felt mentally exhausted from just the one, "I'd rather quit while I'm ahead. Besides, I'm not gonna find a better one than that."

Takao tilted his head to look at him, and Midorima saw those same eyes suddenly very close to him; bright and sharp, he could only look into them for a few moments. They were steely blue but with none of the coldness.

Midorima coughed in embarrassment as Takao looked back up at the sky.

"Which one is the North Star again?"

Midorima was glad for the change of topic, "It's the last star on the handle of the Little Dipper - so, um, the last star in the trail of tape. It lies in a nearly direct line with the rotation of the Earth's axis. You notice how it's been in the same place all night, while all the others have shifted slightly? It is pretty much always right there."

Takao hummed, "It really _does_ look like your hand though." He took Midorima's hand and held it up to the sky once more, lining it up with the stars, "I really think it belongs up there." He returned the hand to Midorima's chest but didn't let it go.

This little tactic was silly and painfully obvious, but it was this simplicity that affected Midorima, and he intertwined his fingers with Takao's. He continued their conversation not because he cared if his left hand was in the sky or not, but because he truly could not bear a silence at that moment.

"I still don't think it really deserves to be there though; since the Little Dipper holds the North star and you can use to the North Star for directions, the Little Dipper is sort of known for leading people home."

Takao was unconvinced, "Well in a game I know what direction the hoop is, so on the court I'd rather have your left hand."

Midorima turned to look at him, "Oh? And what about right now? I'm afraid my left hand didn't do us too much good tonight."

They had both long forgotten their unfortunate position in the middle of nowhere, and while Midorima had only been teasing him, Takao looked genuinely upset.

His eyebrows knit together, "I'm really sorry I got us lost."

Midorima quickly shook his head, "N-no it's okay, I shouldn't have made you pull the rickshaw all the way out here."

Takao frowned, "It was really frustrating at the time, but now I don't mind, the stars are pretty," he adjusted his head on Midorima's shoulder, "and this is nice."

Without saying anything more, he closed his eyes, leaving Midorima to stare at him with a thundering series of rising and falling thoughts. If he was being honest with himself, he really hadn't seen any of the constellations Takao had pointed out. However, he thought it must be significant that the only one he _could_ come up with himself was Takao related - and of all things, his eyes. While it was true Takao was the star closest to him, Midorima knew that wasn't the thing that made him the brightest.

Just as he wondered idly if Takao had actually fallen asleep, one of those quick, hawk eyes suddenly popped open.

"Why are you staring at me?" His face was so terribly close and Midorima was certain Takao could see him blushing, "Could it be that you're…" he smirked, " _Over the moon_ about me?"

Takao started giggling like a madman at his own silly joke, and Midorima's face quickly returned to its usual exasperated expression. Takao began to worry he had seriously made a mistake when Midorima pulled his hand away, but he simply raised the taped fingers to hold Takao's face instead.

He stopped breathing as Midorima gazed directly into his eyes, "Shut up, Takao."

Takao's upcoming complaint was immediately silenced as Midorima, ever so gently, place a small flutter of a kiss on his lips.

They pulled apart slowly, and while the kiss had only invigorated Takao, it seemed to have sapped Midorima of his confidence; he let his hand fall from Takao's face and looked away uncomfortably.

Takao scooted closer to him and cupped Midorima's face in his own hand, trying to meet his eyes, "You know, I have to be honest, I lied earlier."

Midorima looked up at him and frowned, "About what?"

Takao grinned, "Scorpio was ranked first today."

And then something amazing happened; Midorima blinked, his mouth opened, and he laughed. Lively, clear, and very light, Midorima's laugh left Takao awestruck.

Takao, who was constantly by the side of the perpetually stoic young man, spent a large amount of his time trying to simply make him _smile_. Now, hearing the genuine happiness conveyed by this laughter, Takao felt a surge of warmth and pride. Emotionally moved as he was, that didn't stop Takao from being infected with laughter as well, and he soon joined in.

They laughed loudly, their voices echoing across the empty landscape, and they laughed till they were exhausted; chests heaving and sides aching, they occasionally caught each other's eye and erupted again.

Takao finally collapsed back against the floor of the rickshaw, "I can't do this anymore Shin-chan," he giggled, "I think I'm gonna die." He looked up at the sky; it looked like the stars had shifted yet again in the time they had spent laughing, "What time do you think it is?"

Midorima looked at the moon, ran some quick calculations in his head, and then answered, "Probably around four."

"Oh man," Takao giggled again, "what are we going to do?"

Midorima stretched, "You stay here and rest, I'll pedal us home."

"What?" Takao sat up, "You don't have to do that! Why don't we just wait 'til morning?" He took ahold of Midorima's sleeve to keep him from leaving the rickshaw, "It'll be easier when the sun is up, let's just sleep for now."

"You want us to sleep in the rickshaw?"

"Yes...why?" Takao winked, "Did you have something else in mind?"

Midorima rolled his eyes and leaned towards him, "Shut up, Takao." He kissed him quickly once again, and pulled away long before Takao was ready to do so, "Let's sleep then."

Without blankets and using their gym bags as pillows, they laid down together in the rickshaw, holding one another tightly. Their faces were very close, and Midorima could clearly see the frown on Takao's face.

"Is that going to be like your _thing_? 'Shut up Takao' and then you kiss me? I don't think that's very nice, should I say 'shut up Shin-chan' and then kiss you? I don't think you'd appreciate tha-"

Midorima squeezed him gently, "Takao, if you don't stop talking, I'm going to kiss you again."

"Oh, _the horror_."

"Go to sleep."

Takao yawned, "Shut up, Shin-chan." Nuzzling into Midorima's chest, Takao was too tired to try and kiss his point guard.

.

Takao had no idea that sunrises in the outdoors were so _bright_. He awoke first the next morning, after only a few hours of sleep. He began to mentally berate the Sun before he remembered he was supposed to be appreciating it, since apparently, no other planet in the universe did. He must have laid awake for at least an hour, enjoying the country air and spending a large amount of time staring at his boyfriend - he was assuming they were boyfriends now, he'd make sure to ask today.

Midorima was a very cute sleeper; his mouth was slightly open and his hair was a little messier than usual, and the most glaring difference was the lack of his glasses. He had removed them before going to sleep the night before, and Takao thought he looked very handsome without his glasses. Not that he wasn't always handsome, it was just a type of handsome that was new to him. Takao wanted very badly to kiss him awake, but he knew Midorima would appreciate the sleep more.

Eventually, he sat up and stretched. Making sure all of Midorima's limbs were properly inside the rickshaw - why were his legs so _long_? - he began pedaling.

Midorima awoke roughly two hours later as a car horn blared loudly past them. He sat up haphazardly and squinted ahead of him, "Takao? What's going on?"

"We're just outside the city." Takao called back.

" _What?_ " Midorima frantically searched for his glasses. With the on, he was able to see cars, buildings, and people: they had returned to civilization. He looked ahead in amazement, feeling both surprised and slightly guilty, "Hey Takao, if you want to stop I can buy us ramen."

"Nah it's okay, we're almost back."

Midorima frowned, "Well I have some leftover protein bars in my gym bag, you should at least eat one of those." Takao looked like he was about to decline again and Midorima pressed, "We didn't have dinner or breakfast, it's unhealthy to pedal that distance on an empty stomach."

Takao hesitated for a moment longer, but finally stopped the bike and moved to join Midorima in the rickshaw. Though the rickshaw was small, they sat apart without touching and ate in silence.

Truthfully, Midorima was disappointed that he didn't wake up earlier. While he of course appreciated Takao's dedication to getting them home, the return to civilization also meant the reduction of privacy.

Though he would never admit it, a quiet morning cuddling in the rickshaw had sounded very pleasant; in the city, time when they could truly be alone would be hard to come by.

"Takao."

He looked up, "Hm?"

Midorima cleared his throat, "My family owns some camping equipment."

Takao furrowed his brow, "Okay…"

"This was...enjoyable. I would like to do it again, just-um, not it the rickshaw. I was thinking we could go this weekend."

Takao tried not to blush as he thought of all the implications of sharing a tent with Midorima, "Wow, Shin-chan! I never expected you to be so forward with your intentions, I just don't take advantage of little ole me!"

Midorima rolled his eyes and fought down a blush as well, "Shut up, Takao."

Takao grinned back at him expectantly, but a woman suddenly appeared on the sidewalk next to them and they both jumped nervously.

Midorima looked at him apologetically but Takao just laughed, "Don't worry, I'll keep a tally. You can pay me back over the weekend."


End file.
